Dazzled by Disney? The Global Disney Audiences Project

by Eileen R. Meehan (Editor)

Products and characters created and distributed by the Walt Disney Company have played important roles in the popular culture of many countries. In some, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck comic books and films have been popular since the 1930s; in others, the Disney brand name is only now becoming culturally and economically important.

Dazzled by Disney presents the results of a major research project assessing the global expansion and reception of Disney products, including films, television programs and merchandising. The Global Disney Audiences Project involved analysis of audience reactions to Disney products in 18 different countries, including Australia, Brazil, the United States, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, and the UK, examining the extensiveness and intensity of their marketing and the ambiguities and contradictions in the reception of the Disney brand.

Not only is this project the first of its kind to study international Disney audiences, but it is one of the few examples of research analyzing the actual impact of international media products across cultures. In addition to a summary of the project's fascinating results, 12 country profiles provide further depth and explanation of the specific national and cultural contexts for the reception of Disney products.

Dazzled by Disney makes an important contribution to ongoing discussions about globalization as well as revisiting issues relating to cultural imperialism.

276 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2001